Bruce Pearl spoke to Auburn's basketball team regarding Wednesday's ESPN report about his job being at stake for not cooperating with the school's internal investigation into the program.

"I said, 'Guys, don't worry about it. This is just going through the process,'" Pearl said.

Pearl declined to comment on the matter Thursday, saying "This is an ongoing investigation. We are working through the process."

In the short-term, Pearl said he is trying to focus on the first few games of the season, starting with Friday's season opener with Norfolk State.

"I get up every day and go to work and do the very best I can with what I got," Pearl said. "I try not to listen to whatever the distractions are. We're focused on what's ahead."

The uncertainty surrounding Pearl's future creates another distraction for a program still dealing with the fallout of the arrest and federal case against former assistant coach Chuck Person and Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy indefinitely sitting out for their connection to the Person case.

It's unclear how the situation between Pearl and Auburn, which can't come to terms under which to meet as part of the school's investigation, can be reconciled amicably.

Asked if he could envision being the coach in the months ahead, Pearl would not comment on the future beyond Friday's game.

"Let's just say our focus right now is Norfolk State," he said. "We are working through this process. I got asked a question if I was concerned; I'm no more concerned than anybody else is concerned. We're all concerned about where we're at and we hope we get through this and are able to put it behind us."

Sophomore guard Mustapha Heron is trying to stay focused on Friday's game and said he's not considered what he'll do if Pearl is fired.

"I take it with a grain of salt," Heron said about the report of Pearl's uncertain future. "I try to do everything I can to be a leader on the team, so just trying to keep the guys right and ready to go (Friday). We're focused on the first game, home opener, focused on going to Charleston next week and winning some games. So, we're just focused on what we can control."

As far as the impact on recruiting, where Auburn lost its lone 2018 commitment the day after Person was arrested in September, the Tigers are one of just four SEC teams without a commitment in this year's class. Auburn has one open scholarship with no outgoing seniors, but at least three players are expected to leave following the season so there could several spots to fill in the spring.

"This 2018 class was not going to be a big class for us," Pearl said. "In some ways, it plays to an advantage in a sense, because it's not a big year for us."

James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.